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I am proud of him, and a tad sad for our race at the same time. He has made history as one of three African-American Ph.D's in Financial Planning, and the only African-American male, but it also says a lot about our priorities that he is the only.  Operation HOPE is going to try to change that between now and 2020, with our 'silver rights' movement. But for now, we simply celebrate and commend Dr. C.W. Copeland, who is involved in our work here at HOPE, Atlanta.

Here is Dr. Copeland, in his own inspiring words:

"While it is generally considered an honor to be in an exclusive group, it is also disheartening to think that we have a long way to go because there should be more. I was introduced to the PhD Project (a program sponsored by KPMG) so that I could be one of the increased number of minorities teaching in U.S. business schools. They have been able to produce over 1,000 at this date. However, I realized that I was less interested in corporate finance and more interested in personal finance that I sought programs with that focus.

As I mentioned to you, there are only 6 schools (according to the CFP Board website) that offer PhD's in Financial Planning. With such a short history (compared to business school programs), the number of minorities is negligible. I am proud to be a graduate of one (the University of Georgia) and a faculty member at another (the American College of Financial Services). 

I plan to utilize my platform to help change lives, which is why I have made it a point to build a relationship with Jay Bailey and Operation Hope. Programs like yours are critical to our society's success. Please let me know how I can play a role in your mission."

C.W. Copeland, Ph.D. is the Managing Principal at C.W. Copeland & Associates in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

John Hope Bryant

 

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